Top 10 Booster Club Mistakes

Running a successful booster club takes dedication, strategy, and smart planning. At Booster Hub, we work with hundreds of clubs and thousands of volunteers daily, giving us unique insight into what works—and what doesn't. Here are the top 10 mistakes we see booster clubs making, and how you can avoid them.

1. "We Don't Spend Money on Tools or Admin Costs"

Many clubs pride themselves on sending every dollar to the kids, but this mindset can actually limit your effectiveness. Successful nonprofits typically allocate around 30% to administrative costs, while booster clubs should consider investing about 5% of total revenue in infrastructure.

Success Story: One soccer booster club we worked with hesitated to spend their modest $1,000 budget on management tools. After investing in the right infrastructure, they increased their annual fundraising to $11,000 in just one year!

Pro Tip: Consider hiring a bookkeeper for larger clubs (those raising $50,000+ annually). While spending $300/month might seem significant, it frees up volunteer hours that can be redirected toward activities with much higher returns, like securing sponsorships.

2. "We're Going to Make Money on T-Shirts!"

Spirit wear can be profitable, but it requires strategy. Many clubs order merchandise in bulk without confirming demand, leading to unsold inventory and lost money.

Better Approach: Use pre-orders or print-on-demand services to ensure every item sold generates profit. Limit your product offerings (two hat styles instead of six, one or two t-shirt colors instead of nine) to simplify inventory and increase your margins.

3. "I Sent an Email to Tell People to Volunteer, But No One Did"

Communication challenges are at the heart of most volunteer shortages. While board members are deeply engaged, other parents are juggling multiple responsibilities and may miss a single email announcement.

Communication Rule: Share important messages at least seven times across multiple channels (email, app notifications, social media, in-person announcements). Remember that app notifications and text messages have a 90% read rate compared to email's 20%.

4. "We Don't Reconcile Our Accounts"

Monthly bank reconciliation is essential for catching errors, preventing fraud, and ensuring funds are properly managed. Even large, established organizations can miss significant accounting errors without this basic check.

Real Example: One treasurer discovered that a check for over $50,000 from the previous year had never been deposited because no one had reconciled the accounts. Regular reconciliation would have caught this immediately.

5. "We Can't Get Volunteers, So I Do Everything"

The "Debbie Do Everything" syndrome may seem efficient in the short term but ultimately threatens the longevity of your club. When one person handles everything, the community aspect diminishes, and institutional knowledge disappears when that person moves on.

Solution: Create clearly defined roles with specific task lists, actively recruit volunteers, and be willing to delegate responsibilities. This builds a sustainable volunteer pipeline and prevents burnout.

6. "Our Booster Club Does What It Wants Without Coordinating with Our Coach/Director"

While coaches shouldn't have voting power in your booster club, maintaining strong communication with them is crucial. Regular check-ins ensure alignment between the program's needs and the booster club's efforts.

Best Practice: Schedule regular meetings with coaches or directors to discuss upcoming plans, needs, and priorities.

7. "We Run Fundraisers Every Week"

Continual fundraising leads to donor fatigue. Think of your fundraising "asks" as a limited currency—spend it wisely!

Strategic Approach: Focus on 2-3 major fundraisers annually rather than numerous small efforts. Create excitement, urgency, and clear goals for each campaign to maximize results.

8. "Our Membership System Is Complex"

Overly complicated membership structures with various fee allocations and tracking requirements create unnecessary administrative burdens.

Simplify: Just because "it's always been done this way" doesn't mean it's the best approach. Streamline your membership and sponsorship programs to run on autopilot in today's automated world.

9. "You Must Volunteer Or Else..."

Creating a mandatory volunteer culture generates resentment rather than engagement. Threatening emails about volunteer requirements damage the community spirit that booster clubs should foster.

Culture Shift: Focus on creating a positive, fun volunteer environment that people want to participate in. Accept that 10-20% of your community may never volunteer actively.

10. "We Offer Ways for Members to Offset Their Fees Through Volunteering/Fundraising"

While this seems fair, it violates nonprofit law. IRS regulations require 501(c)(3) organizations to fundraise for the benefit of the entire group, not individual accounts.

Legal Alternative: Fundraise to reduce costs for the entire program, and establish formal scholarship/grant application processes for families needing financial assistance.

Just because you've "always done it this way" doesn't mean it's the best or even legal approach. By avoiding these common blunders, your booster club can operate more efficiently, raise more money, and better support the students you serve.

Visit BoosterHub.com to learn more about how our app can help you improve communications, increase engagement, raise more money, and manage your booster club responsibly.